Grants awarded

The research grant process starts with the application, which is to be received by the Competition Authority no later than 1 February. Following this, the applications are examined by the Authority and the Council for Research Issues and they are discussed at a Council meeting in May.

The Council makes a recommendation regarding which applications should be granted funding. The Director General subsequently makes a decision regarding the award of research funding for the current budget year. Decisions are taken for one year at a time, even for longer projects, but these are generally granted ongoing financing.

When do I find out whether my application has been granted?

Everyone who applies to us for funding receives a personal notification regarding whether or not their applications has been granted. The decisions are normally sent out at the end of May.

For those whose applications have been granted, we send out contracts on an annual basis together with two requisitions for payment, one for payment in July and one for payment in December. Half of the funds granted for the year are allocated in advance, for each six-month period.